Thorns
by BeColourful
Summary: Jack Frost is curious about a lot of things and the thing he's most curious about at this moment in time is a girl that he can't seem to stop watching. One day however, he realises she's watching him as well. As a teen who no longer believes in the guardians, how can this be? Jack x OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Jack Frost was wandering aimlessly in the middle of the night. He jumped from snow covered rooftop to snow covered rooftop, barely paying attention to where he was going and twirling his staff in his hands. Eventually he realised he was actually making it snow lightly without meaning to but he left the small flakes to float to ground softly, deciding not to bother removing them.

Everything was silent around him; he had reached the edge of the town and was on the border of a dense forest. He sighed. I really wasn't fun not needing to sleep, all the children were in bed and the other guardians were off doing god knows what, leaving him to wander aimlessly until the world woke up again.

He prepared to turn back, resolving to sit in the park and make a few snowmen to pass the time, when he heard the snapping of a twig in the forest behind him. He stiffened, tightening his grip on his staff and flicking his head so that his white hair didn't obscure his vision. Pitch had vanished a year ago, but Jack didn't believe the spirit to have vanished, they were immortal after all. He and the other guardians were merely waiting for signs of him making a reappearance, but in the meantime they were all glad for the peace.

Another crack sounded, followed by a curse. That definitely did not sound like Pitch thought Jack, so he relaxed slightly and moved into the woods to investigate.

He followed the occasional cracks and rustling sounds until he came across a person walking through the woods, a hood pulled tightly over their head. He guessed that whoever it was was in their teens based on their size, but their large bulky coat made it impossible to distinguish whether the person was male or female. He followed the person for a while as they walked; waiting for them to curse or say something so that he could tell by their voice, but no sound escaped them. Growing more curious, he walked straight into their path and they walked right through him. So whoever it was didn't believe in him then. A little disappointed by this he followed them further until the two of them reached a small clearing where the person stopped. He stopped too, looking around curiously to see what they had halted for.

The person sighed, apparently happily. From this he had the tiniest inking that the person he was following was a girl. The sigh didn't sound masculine but then again it wasn't much to go on.

Jack stayed at the clearing edge while the suspected girl went to the centre of the clearing and did he most peculiar thing; she laid down.

Jack looked at her in shock for a minute before moving closer. She just lay on the snow covered ground with her hands rested on her stomach and her ankles crossed, her eyes moving across the star strewn sky and smiling occasionally.

Confident that she was in fact a girl from the few facial features he could see in the moonlight, Jack moved until he was standing right over her and what he saw startled him.

It wasn't the girl's beautiful porcelain features that struck him, nor the small dusting of freckles across her nose. It wasn't that her hair fanned out around her head and out of her hood and looked like a beautiful mahogany waterfall against the white snow – although he took in all of these things also – it was her eyes. Her eyes were a bright, shining - unmistakable purple.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Annabelle's Point of View:

I woke up to soft light filtering through my curtains. Yawning and stretching I reached above my bed and pulled one of them open slightly so that I could peek outside. A snow day. I grinned, letting the curtain fall back against the wall and relaxing in the warm cocoon of my duvet. I knew it must be late morning but it was only a Saturday so it didn't really matter. I had gone out to look at the stars very early this morning and didn't get back until sunrise.

Both my parents were out at work from 5:30am and didn't get home until 8 in the evening – every single day. They work as civil servants, not the most interesting job but the pay is good and I've grown used to the long lonely days at home.

Eventually I pulled myself out of bed and padded across the carpet to the mirror to see what could be done about my appearance. My purple eyes were reflected back at me, the only striking feature on my otherwise plain face. My long brown hair was in messy waves so I settled for pulling it into a ponytail and leaving my side bangs down.

After this I got dressed in some skinny jeans, a plain teeshirt and a hoodie, pulling on my snow boots and bobble hat as I resolved to go to the local cafe for breakfast – or probably lunch looking at the time.

I picked up my keys, phone, purse and iPod before leaving the house, locking the front door behind me. Fall Out Boy played in my ears and I hummed along, crunching through the deep snow to the cafe. When the song reached a guitar solo I grinned and jumped into a massive pile of snow, sending it flying everywhere while I air-guitared vigorously. A couple of my neighbour's kids laughed and waved when they saw me and I waved back, smiling at them as they continued to work on their snowman.

Eventually I reached the cafe and pushed the door open which sounded with a little tinkle of a bell. The air was lovely and warm in here so I pulled off my bobble hat and stuffed it into my pocket, grinning widely at Mrs Haversham, the owner. She smiled back at me.

"Good afternoon Anna" she said cheerily, her friendly brown eyes crinkling around the edges.

"Only just gotten out of bed I presume?" she winked at me and I laughed.

"You know me far too well Penny" I said as I walked up to the counter of the near empty cafe.

"I really don't know why on earth you don't get to bed earlier," she said, shaking her head as she bustled about making coffee and a bacon butty – my usual. I just smiled roofily at her question. I hadn't told anyone about my interest in astronomy but went to see the stars most nights, resulting in dark circles under my eyes 90% of the time. I always looked up constellations and their meanings in my spare time and then I tried to spot them on my night-time wanderings always pleased when I spotted one that I knew.

I just shrugged when she put my butty and coffee on the counter, pushing the money and a very generous tip towards her. "Thanks Pen" I smiled, taking them and sitting down at a two seat table by the window.

"What have I told you about the tip!" she called back but I waved her off, I liked tipping Penny, she was a struggling middle aged mother with a dead beat for a husband and I liked to help in any way I could especially when I got butty's for it.

Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw the chair opposite me move slightly. I cocked my head to the side as I looked at it but nothing else happened so I ignored it and tucked into my butty, finishing it within five short minutes and then resolved to relax in my chair and people watch out of the window.

I saw a few kids having snowball fights and some parents joining in which is always good to see. A few busy commuters were glaring at the snowy ground as they hurried on their way past with their collars up and their shoulders hunched. I frowned at them. Couldn't they see the beauty the snow brought with it?

I turned my head to look further down the street and jumped. The part of the window by the opposite side of the table was almost completely frosted over with lovely fern like patterns. My eyebrows furrowed as I looked at it and I could have sworn it was spreading little by little to my side of the glass. I was pretty sure frost didn't appear out of thin air or spread like that.

Not only that, but it didn't look like it was on the outside of the glass. I drained my coffee and stood up, walking round the table and other empty chair and put my hand on the frosty glass. Immediately it started to melt under my touch and I pulled my fingers away in shock. The frost was definitely inside the cafe. But that wasn't possible was it?

Perturbed by this, I looked around hastily. No one else seemed to have noticed so I straightened up and pulled my bobble hat back onto my head; deciding it would be best for me to ignore the weirdness and just leave.

"Bye Penny!" I called over to the brunette behind the counter; she waved at me as I opened the door and was gone before the bell had stopped tinkling.

Third Person Point of View:

Jack sat on the chair of the coffee shop, thinking. He had followed the girl home that morning and waited patiently for her to come out again in a tree in her yard. Strange for him; as he didn't usually have much patience for anything.

A few hours later however, he had been rewarded and she had emerged, looking slightly strange as she forced a hat down over her high ponytail. He watched her; completely fascinated by the way the light caught her brilliant eyes in so many different ways. He wasn't entirely sure if he liked his fascination with her or not.

When Jack saw her leap into the pile of snow and start to play an invisible guitar he felt his whole being swell with happiness, she liked the snow. And she liked kids, he could tell by the way she said hello to the children they had passed. Once they had arrived at the cafe he had watched her interaction with the owner very carefully. Apparently her name was 'Anna' but was that short for anything? What was the rest of her name? Did she have any middle names? He didn't know why, but he desperately wanted to know the answer to these questions, to know more about her and her mysterious, intriguing eyes.

He did actually, ask her all of these questions once they had sat down and for a second she looked up and his eyes had widened. Had she heard him? Was she going to answer? But then she looked back down and started to eat her breakfast and he deflated.

Resolving to communicate with her in the only way he could he touched the glass of the window with his staff and watched with amusement and happiness as frost blossomed from its touch and he watched 'Anna's' face when she saw it and touched it.

Now she had left and he found himself still staring out of the window she had been looking out of.

"What am I even doing?" he said shaking his head and slapping a hand over his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Annabelle's Point of View:

My alarm went off at 1:00am and I rolled out of bed and turned it off – I hadn't been sleeping anyway. Mum and Dad were asleep in their room; they had gone straight there when they had gotten home last night. I don't blame them for not bothering to talk to me, they hadn't planned on having a kid at all when I was born and I had grown accustomed to being ignored.

Still, I didn't think they'd be too happy about me sneaking off into the woods in the dead of night so I slipped out of the house as quietly as I could and jogged to the edge of town, leaving the back door unlocked so that I could get in more easily when I returned. Snow was falling lightly and all of the cars and windows I could see were covered in frost. I shivered but smiled none the less; I had forgotten my big coat and hat so I was only wearing pyjamas, a hoodie and a pair of converse. My hair was flowing down my back but I didn't really mind.

The woods were difficult to navigate in the dark but once my eyes had grown used to the lack of light I managed to find my way to my clearing pretty fast, only tripping once.

I laid down on my back as usual and started looking at the stars, starting with the ever bright north star and working my way across the sky and naming the different constellations in my mind. The moon was full tonight; glowing eerily bright and hung directly above me, millions of miles away. Soon I became captivated by it; the glow was mesmerising and beautiful. In the very corner of my mind I heard a small hum, almost like a whispering voice talking to me softly in a steady rhythm as I stared at the huge, bright moon. It seemed to grow larger every time I blinked. It was snowing more heavily now but strangely I felt warm, as though my body heat had skyrocketed. I felt the flakes brushing my face and caressing my eyelids as it became harder and harder to keep them open.

The moon was still talking to me a lyrical voice that I didn't really register or understand. Slowly my eyes closed and darkness swarmed me.

Third Point of View:

Jack watched the moon, transfixed. The man in the moon was there – speaking. He knew it; he just couldn't hear what he was saying. Eventually he returned his gaze to 'Anna'. He didn't really like calling her that; he didn't feel it suited her at all. He saw that she had her eyes closed. Strange.

He walked up next to her with his staff slug over one shoulder and his other hand shoved in his pocket. She looked like she'd fallen asleep. He frowned at the sky and with a flick of his staff the snow ceased. He didn't want her to get ill – after all she wasn't exactly dressed for the cold anyway.

He thought of trying to rouse her but couldn't think of how to without having to touch her – which he wouldn't be able to do because she wouldn't feel it. Thinking, he put his staff on the ground and leaned on it. She really was rather pretty he thought, even with her eyes closed. He ran a hand through his hair. The only solution he could think of was to somehow get her back to the safety of her bed because there was no way to leave her here without her catching hypothermia.

He managed to pick her up by only touching her clothing, as that wouldn't disappear through him; he held the girl bridal style and held his staff in his hand while his arm took the weight of her legs. His other arm supported her back. With a sigh he managed to twist his wrist so that a wind picked them up and carried the two of them to her back yard soundlessly and smoothly. Jack stumbled a little upon landing as he wasn't used to landing with the extra weight, but the sleeping girl didn't stir.

He propped his staff up against the fence and used his now free hand to open her back door and carry her upstairs. Her bedroom door stood open and he put her down in her bed, forgetting to take her shoes off as he pulled the duvet up over her. Nodding to himself he bounded back down the stairs and out of the back door, grabbed his staff and flew off into the night, meeting Sandy by a cloud where he was sending out dreams to the kids in the area.

"Hey" Jack nodded to the little golden man who nodded to him, sent out his last few dreams and started to float away on his golden cloud.

"Wait" Sandy stopped and turned, a question mark appearing above his head.

"Did the man in the moon say anything to you earlier?" Jack asked curiously.

Sandy shook his head and shrugged.

"Oh ok" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Sandy formed another question mark above his head looking concerned.

"Don't worry about it, have a good night Sandy" he flew away and left the sandman to go about his work in peace.

Annabelle's Point of View:

I felt morning before I opened my eyes and snuggled deeper into my bed to cling on to the last few minutes of sleep I could get. I felt my shoe against my leg. Shoes?

I opened my eyes and rubbed the sand from them, seeing I was still clad in what I wore out this morning. I looked around; my alarm clock read 10:30am. I tried to remember what time I came home but got nothing. The last thing I remembered from yesterday was the full moon I had been staring at – then nothing. I frowned and rubbed my head. That couldn't be good, memory loss at my age.

Getting up and dressed, still puzzling over what could have happened this morning, I noticed even darker circles under my eyes. I really needed to sort out my sleeping patterns. Maybe I had just been too exhausted to recall going home this morning? That had to explain it. A nagging feeling in my stomach wasn't buying it but I ignored it and that was the story I settled on believing.

I set out to see Penny pretty much as soon as I had dressed so I left the house fairly quickly and speed walked all the way there, determined to discuss with her explanations for memory loss. Halfway there however, I noticed a strange boy walking a little way behind me, he looked a little older than me and was carrying a massive stick?

I paused to let him catch up with me but when I stopped, he stopped. I was determined not to openly look at him in case he thought it was weird and so continued on my walk, stealing glances behind me at whatever opportunity I could get.

It was the third time I looked over my shoulder when I realised he was barefoot. In freaking snow. I couldn't hold back the concern. I turned around and faced him, "Aren't your feet freezing?!" I asked incredulously, looking down at his bare feet then up to his face for the first time.

I was momentarily stunned. He had the most crystal blue eyes I had ever seen in my life. They were cool in colour but somehow friendly and welcoming at the same time. His hair was brilliant white and perfectly windswept... but then I realised his hoodie had ice on it, my eyes widened. Then I realised, it was probably just the hoodie design, there was no way it could be actual frost.

The boy looked at me confused for a second before turning around and looking behind him down the deserted street.

"Hey you, blue hoodie guy, yes you!" I said exasperatedly when he turned back again and pointed to himself with a shocked expression.

"Aren't your feet freezing?" I repeated, gesturing to his bare feet. He looked down too.

"Erm... no" he replied, looking back into my eyes.

"No?! You're walking through snow!" I said, not understanding how he could possibly deny being cold.

"I'm just not cold" he shrugged and then grinned.

"Hi" I stared at him blankly. This guy was freaking me out a little.

"Erm hi" I replied, backing away.

"Okay well, I have to go"

"Wait!" he exclaimed, coming closer and holding out a hand. "I'm Jack" he smiled.

"Annabelle" I replied shaking his hand cautiously, eyeing the stick in his hands.

"Anna –BELLE" he said, putting emphasis on the last part of my name and slapping himself on the forehead,

"Of course!"

"Yeah well" I said, backing away again, my eyes wide, "Bye Jack" I turned and started to walk but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

"I should have explained" he grinned, "I'm Jack Frost"

I nodded, pretending I didn't think he was insane. "Cool, I'm Annabelle Jacobs, bye," once again I turned to leave but again he stopped me.

"I don't think you understand" he smiled again; "I'm THE Jack Frost" my expression didn't change from confused.

"You know, the winter spirit, creator of frost and snow?" he sounded more and more frustrated. By now I was very concerned for the boy; he was clearly not very well mentally.

"Listen, we can take you to a doctor who-" I began in a soft tone before he sighed angrily and touched a tree in someone's front yard with the stick and the tree promptly iced over. My eyes widened, looking from the boy to the tree and back again; my brain desperately trying to make sense of what had just happened. With a twist of the staff he was airborne and flying around me in circles.

"Believe me now?" he said, landing nimbly on the ground again.

I nodded wordlessly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"So, if you're Jack Frost-" I started.

"Which I am" Jack interrupted with a smirk.

"How come nobody can see you?" I finished, ignoring him.

We were currently sat in the cafe, across from each other where I had sat the previous day. I was drinking a coffee and Jack didn't have anything as it would've looked strange to see a cup floating of its own accord. I hadn't realised Jack was invisible to other people until he walked straight through someone and I nearly screamed.

Now we were talking quietly and it probably looked like I had lost my mind to anyone who might have been watching me.

"Well you see, little kids can because they believe in me – same goes for the Tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and North"

"North?" I was temporarily distracted.

"Santa" he said simply, I nodded, digesting the information.

"But, I didn't believe in you and I saw you" I said, running a hand through my long hair and playing with the strands out of habit. Jack watched my hand threading locks of hair together for a minute before looking puzzled.

"I don't know why that is," he told me honestly, looking down at the table with furrowed eyebrows.

"Okay..." I sighed and rested my head in my hands. Either I was being very cleverly tricked, I was clinically insane, or just maybe, this boy was telling the truth. I was leaning towards the second option but a small part of me told me the third held true.

I decided the best way to not be insane – if that were the case – was to avoid the insanity. I.e. Jack.

It pained me to admit but he was very likable and very good looking so the thought of making an active effort to avoid seeing him was upsetting but necessary I decided. If he really was a figment of my imagination then he should eventually vanish.

"Okay then Jack" I said, standing up and looking around the empty cafe. "I have stuff to do so erm, yeah, see you around"

And with that I bustled out of the door and back home, throwing myself into my homework and ignoring everything else for a solid few hours while my brain went back to normality.

Third person Point of view:

Jack was dumbstruck. Not only could the girl suddenly see and hear him, she still didn't believe him properly, he could tell. How was that even possible?

In amongst all of this confusion and chaos in his mind a part of him recalled the moment when her stunning purple eyes had focused for the first time on his own, he was pretty sure he had stopped breathing for a few seconds.

Belle. It suited her so much more than Anna. He was going to call her it when they became friends – and they would become friends he decided. They had to. For the first time in 300 years he had found someone other than the guardians and little kids to talk to. She was 17 – nearly the same age as he was physically and interesting to have a conversation with.

She didn't emerge that night, or in the early hours of the morning when she would normally stargaze. Jack paced outside of her house, making it snow heavily so that school would be cancelled and so he could talk to her.

He saw her parents leave for work and waited, anxious for her to come out. Finally the front door opened and Annabelle stood there, her long mahogany hair pulled over one shoulder in a cascade of curls and a schoolbag on her shoulder.

"No school" Jack called to her happily, "I got it cancelled" her purple eyes widened upon seeing him and she dropped her bag, kicking it back into the house.

"Look" she said as she walked up to him. "I was really hoping I imagined you yesterday but I think it's best for my mental health that you leave" she poked him hard in the chest.

Jack rolled his eyes; he wasn't giving up that easily. He formed a snowball in the palm of his hand and smashed it straight on the side of her face.

Her expression was priceless. He was bent over from laughing so hard at the look on her face and only stopped when a snowball hit him on the top of the head. Belle had clearly just thrown in and looked away from him innocently. He grinned. That was when the fully fledged snowball war started. The neighbours kids that Belle called Lizzie and George came and joined in about half an hour after it had started and Belle was laughing so much as she threw little Lizzie into a pile of snow. Lizzie retaliated by shoving a snowball into Belle's face.

"Jack!" called George, gesturing for him to come closer; he crouched down next to him,

"What's up?" Jack whispered.

"You get Anna, I'll get Lizzie" he whispered back loudly but the girls were too far away to hear. Jack nodded and grabbed a handful of snow, snuck up on Belle and pushed it down the back of her jumper.

"COLD!" she shouted, running around madly with her arms flailing. Jack and George were in hysterics, high fiving each other as Lizzie imitated Annabelle, having had snow down her back too.

Eventually Lizzie and George's mum called for them to come back in. Annabelle hugged them goodbye and giggle softly as they scrambled home. Jack sent her a sideways look and swung his staff over his shoulder.

"So..." he began.

He didn't get very far before Annabelle threw her arms around him and hugged him.

"You're real" she whispered into his neck.

Jack dropped his staff and hugged her back, feeling better than he had in a long long time.

"I'm real" he replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Annabelle's Point of View:

I said goodbye to Jack fairly late that night, we were up talking for hours about our lives. He told me all about the other guardians and their jobs, how they had defeated Pitch Black the previous year and about what it was like not having anyone see you for nearly 300 years.

In turn I told him the much less impressive tale of my life, what school was like and how exams were important and stuff. He seemed just as interested in this as I was in his story.

Sadly though, I needed sleep for school the next day and told him he couldn't make it another snow day because I had work to hand in that I didn't struggle through for nothing.

I woke up on that Tuesday and showered and dressed faster than I think I ever have in my life, determined to see Jack before school. I opened the front door and almost walked straight into him, as he was standing on the front step, twirling his staff – as he called it.

"Hey" I grinned at him. He ruffled his hair a bit.

"Hi" he smiled back. "I know you have school so I'm going away for the morning, but I came to tell you I'll meet you from school this afternoon"

I nodded. "Okay, have fun doing whatever you're doing" I reached out and gave him a quick hug before turning and making my way to school; a little disappointed he was leaving but happy that I'd see him later.

"Anna!" my best friend Sam called to me when he saw me approaching the gates. He ran and engulfed me in a hug.

"Hey Sammy" I grinned.

"I'm sorry I was away all weekend" he pouted and I poked his lip laughing,

"I suppose I forgive you" Sam was very tall with green puppy dog eyes and a mop of blonde hair.

"Let's get going" he said, towing me towards the school, "I have so much to tell you about Ecuador!"

This was fairly routine, Sam's parents were journalists and often at weekends they would take him to whatever location they were sent to for their work and he always came back with plenty of stories to tell me.

I listened intently as he talked about the people he met abroad and the different cultures they learnt about. Our conversation about his trip lasted most of the day, excluding lessons when we got told off for talking. Finally the last bell rang and I tiredly got to my feet, pulling my bag onto my shoulder and shaking out my hair.

"Ready to go?" Sam asked as I met him by the door. I nodded, completely shattered from the day and he laughed at my expression as her slung an arm over my shoulder.

"Don't be so down Anna, just think it's only Monday! We have a whole week left!" he taunted teasingly. I groaned as we reached the gates and he squeezed my shoulders with a chuckle.

"Walking today I'm guessing?" he smiled and pulled me so that we were walking in the direction of both our houses. Sam's house was only a couple of streets away from mine. He retracted his arm and bent down, making a clumsy snowball and aiming it at me. I dived for cover behind a tree.

"Don't get this in Ecuador" he shouted with a grin, pelting another snowball at the tree. I threw a couple back and were pleased when I heard them make contact.

"Hey" I jumped and looked behind me, Jack stood there, one hand in his pocket and the other rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine" I grinned, pleased to see him.

"Annnnnaaaa, come out from there, I promise I won't throw any more!" I heard Sam calling. I saw Jack frown a little as he looked out from behind the tree.

"I'm coming" I laughed, catching up with him and gesturing for Jack to follow. He did, but he didn't look happy.

"Sam this is-"

"He can't see me" Jack interjected quickly, I almost slapped myself. Of course he couldn't.

"This is... really fun!" I said quickly, heat rushing to my face. Sam pushed his blonde hair back and looked at me weirdly.

"Erm, okay then" he said, pulling on my elbow so that we could start walking again. Jack walked on my other side, swinging his staff unhappily. I threw him an apologetic glance. I would talk to him the minute Sam was home.

I stayed quiet the rest of the way, trying to subtly speed up the pace that we were walking at so that I could talk to Jack.

At last we reached Sam's and he gave me a tight hug before disappearing. I sighed.

"I am so sorry" I said, turning to Jack as we started walking again.

"S'alright" he said, although his expression didn't match the statement. He still looked irritated. I bit my lip, unsure of how to make it up to him.

"Want to go ice skating?" I asked tentatively. We had reached my house in silence; I unlocked the door and let us in while he pondered his response.

"Okay then" he finally seemed to decide, "I know somewhere" I smiled at him before going upstairs and getting changed out of my school clothes and putting my hair into a messy bun. I grabbed my unused ice skates from the garage and met him by the front door.

"Ready" I grinned and to my relief, he smiled back. He led me through the woods on a path that I had never taken and eventually we reached a large lake, covered with a thin sheet of ice. He placed his staff of the surface and the thickness of the ice increased. I looked at him and he shrugged,

"Better to be safe" I nodded and started to undo my laces so I could put on my ice skates when I heard a noise coming from behind a thicket of trees.

The sound grew louder and closer so I peered around trying to see what it was. "Jack?" I asked. He was already looking in the same direction, his face serious and his staff raised defensively.

"Stay behind me Belle" he said and my eyes widened. No one had ever called me Belle before. I kind of liked it.

Despite this I complied and moved behind him just as a figure emerged from the trees.

"Alright mate?" Jack relaxed but seemed annoyed.

"Bunny" he nodded, moving the hand not holding his staff behind him until he reached my side. He gripped it and held me there so that the person couldn't see me. I moved closer to him and peered over his shoulder a little.

A six foot tall rabbit stood a few feet away from us, spinning a boomerang in one hand and leaning against a tree. It straightened up when it saw me.

"Well who" he started, moving closer to us, "might this Sheila be?" Jack sighed and removed his arm so I could move into view.

"Bunny, Annabelle, Belle, Bunny" he said, gesturing to each of us in turn.

I waved shyly. I had heard about the Easter bunny from Jack, but he was still nothing like I expected.

"Crikey, how old are ya?" Bunnymund asked incredulously as he took me in.

"17" I answered quietly, unsure how to act.

"And you still believe?" he asked, confused.

"I-"

Jack cut me off; "It's a long story that you probably didn't come here for. What do you want?"

"We need you to come in, now" Bunny said.

"Now?" Jack asked seemingly irritated.

"Like right now" Bunny confirmed tapping the ground with his foot and a massive hole appeared. I gasped in shock.

"Look, I'll come later, I'm busy" Jack said defiantly, crossing his arms as best as he could whilst holding his staff.

"Well then, when you're not busy" Bunny said angrily, hopping closer to me; "Me and the Sheila will be waitin' for ya"

With that the rabbit grabbed me by the back of my hoodie and pushed me into the hole where I slid through a massive, curvy tunnel.

Screaming louder than I think I ever have in my life, I dropped my ice skates and they tore my jeans and left a long cut up my leg before they vanished from sight, lost somewhere in the tunnel.

My eyes filled with tears and I blinked them back determinedly as I felt blood starting to stain my jeans.

After what felt like an age I was spat out of the tunnel and staggered to the floor, choking back my tears and clutching my bloody leg tightly. I heard voices around me but nobody approached me as tears leaked from my eyes which were squeezed shut.

Suddenly a heard a thump from behind me.

"He's on his way" grunted Bunnymund, apparently not noticing me on the ground. Another soft thump told me Jack had arrived.

"You can't just do that!" I heard him shout at Bunnymund. I opened my eyes a little and wiped some of the tears away so I could see. Jack was almost nose to nose with the rabbit, his staff pointed towards his chest dangerously.

The other people in the room were all looking at me. I stared back at a woman covered in bright feathers who was fluttering a few feet from the floor with magnificent wings, surrounded by little versions of herself. A massive man with tattoos on his forearms who had a long beard and a little man who appeared to be made of golden sand.

The Tooth fairy – I recognised her from Jack's description – hovered a little away from me looking concerned but unsure of what to do, North looked confused and Sandman's expression mirrored Tooth's one of worry.

The searing pain in my leg fired up again when I loosened my grip on it. My jeans were properly soaked now. I hissed and tightened my hold on it again, keeping it bent to my chest so I wouldn't loosen my grip again.

Jack turned at the noise, his face still full of annoyance at Bunnymund for tossing me into the hole.

"Belle!" he shouted, running over to me and skidding to a stop as he kneeled next to me. He looked at my torn jeans and cut leg wordlessly, looking pained himself as he looked into my eyes. I managed a watery smile.

"Forgot to ditch the ice skates before we left" I muttered, putting more pressure on my leg. Jack gripped his scarf and turned to Bunnymund who looked shocked at what he had done.

"YOU IDIOT!" Jack shouted, so angrily that I recoiled slightly. I put a hand on his arm.

"It wasn't his fault" I said gently and motioned for him to help me up, he did so, taking most of my weight as I leaned on him.

I smiled around. "Erm, has anyone got anything I can bandage this up with?" I asked nervously.


End file.
